Are we overthinking the warlord?

[TheCosmicKid]

Except that all of what you just posted is still a fighter through and through, because it's all tied to the short rest crap as usual.

This is not a factually accurate description of the words I have posted.

 

[TheCosmicKid]

(though I suppose the subclass may could fill in those gaps)

Pretty much the idea, yup.

 

[Al2O3]

Sure, just as soon as WotC removes the limit on Action Surge.

I'm beginning to confuse the threads. If the suggestion here was a fighter subclass, then I can see the point in handling interactions with action surge.

At the same time you could limit to handing out one action (or one attack action) per ally and round. I do remember a 4e daily power named "lamb to the slaughter". Letting an ally attack and then another ally attack would be a good though approximation.

 

[Tales and Chronicles]

I think people are too focused on balance first, then fun mechanics. I think the devs just needs to start with fun mechanics, then check for balance with playtest and polls. See what he did with the Order Domain for clerics in the more recent video: many warlord-themed powers, the class can actually throw a lot of granted actions and yet it doest seems broken or anything, just fun.

(taken from reddit)
Domain Spells

1st - Bless, command

3rd - Hold person, spiritual weapon

5th - Mass healing word, slow

7th - Dominate best, guardian of faith

9th - Commune, dominate person

Bonus Proficiency (Level 1)

When you choose this domain at 1st level, you gain proficiency with heavy armor.

Voice of Authority (Level 1)

You can invoke the power of law to claim authority over others. Once per turn when you target an ally with a 1st level or higher spell, that ally can use their reaction to make a single melee or ranged weapon attack against a target of your choice. If a single spell targets multiple allies, only one ally gains this benefit.

Channel Divinity: Order’s Demand (Level 2)

You can exhort an intimidating presence over chaotic mobs. As an action you present your holy symbol and roll 6d10. The total is the hit points of creatures this spell can affect. Creatures within 60 feet of you that can see or hear you are affected in ascending order of their current hit points (ignoring unconscious creatures).
Starting with the creature that has the lowest current hit points, each creature is affected as if it failed its saving throw against a command spell cast by you. You must obey the restrictions of that spell except the creature does not have to share a language with you. Subtract each creature's hit points from the total before moving on to the creature with the next lowest hit points. A creature’s hit points must be equal to or less than the remaining total for that creature to be affected. Creatures immune to being charmed are not affected by this ability.

Channel Divinity: Order’s Judgement (Level 6)

You can use your channel divinity to mark an enemy for destruction. As a bonus action, you present your holy symbol and select a creature you can see within 30ft of you. Until the start of your next turn, you and your allies gain a +5 bonus to all damage rolls against that creature. If damage applies to multiple creatures including the chosen one, the damage applies only to that creature.

Divine Strike (Level 8)

You gain the ability to infuse your weapon strikes with divine energy. Once on each of your turns when you hit a creature with a weapon attack, you can cause the attack to deal an additional 1d8 force damage to the target. When you reach 14th level the damage increases to 2d8.

Order’s Wrath (Level 17)

When you apply your divine strike damage to a creature, your allies also benefits of your divine strike feature against that creature until the start of your next turn.

 

[TheCosmicKid]

If the suggestion here was a fighter subclass, then I can see the point in handling interactions with action surge.

More a fighter variant.

At the same time you could limit to handing out one action (or one attack action) per ally and round. I do remember a 4e daily power named "lamb to the slaughter". Letting an ally attack and then another ally attack would be a good though approximation.

Did you read Coordinate Attack?

 

[Tony Vargas]

The warlord needs to stand in as a primary healer. At least one of its subclasses does.

Well, any warlord who doesn't willfully shirk such duties should be able to get a party through the standard-issue 6-8 encounter day, even if they are running on fumes after encounter 8....
...it'd be fine for some sub-classes (Inspiring, Resourceful) to be better at healing than others (Tactical).

In a world with 40 HP Goodberries and Healing Spirit, it's very easy to overrate the importance of healing.

In a party without them, OTOH...

 

[Tony Vargas]

I think people are too focused on balance first, then fun mechanics.

Which is ironic. Balance-first is part of what caused such a backlash against 4e.

 

[Tales and Chronicles]

Which is ironic. Balance-first is part of what caused such a backlash against 4e.

Yup. People are strange like that.
4e - ''The game is too balance-focused, all classes feel samey, its boring''
5e - ''This and that features are not balanced, they do 2 less damage, heal 2 HP more: they are broken and its unplayable, lets ask WotC to revise them''

I get why people want stuff that plays in the same ballpark powerwise, but ask for too much balance between each classes and archetype and all new features will be the same with different fluff.

 

[TwoSix]

In a party without them, OTOH...

Sure, it's useful, but it's not worth getting overly excited about if your class has it. Strong out-of-combat healing is worth more than a ribbon, but not nearly as much as nova capability, or mitigation. Complaining that a class has good offense AND healing is like complaining that a rogue has good offense AND skill expertise.

 

[Tony Vargas]

Complaining that a class has good offense AND healing is like complaining that a rogue has good offense AND skill expertise.

That seems a fair analogy, though it may not have meant to me, what you meant it to mean.

Strong out-of-combat healing is worth more than a ribbon, but not nearly as much as nova capability, or mitigation.

Or in-combat healing, which warlords should generally have access to (even if some specific characters might not take it, walling off something that critical to 'support' in a sub-class would be bad). Out-of-combat healing boosts? Or between-combat mitigation (along the lines of inspiring leader)? Sure. I could even see the Resourceful warlord doing the medic thing.